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The “normal” defence!

You see a long suit in dummy which it would seem declarer needs for tricks. You are defending 3NT. So, you must aim to stop them enjoying that suit. Well..take a look:

 

Your partner’s 3 bid is pre-emptive, making it as difficult for your opponents as possible. Rather surprisingly, South’s answer was to bid the no-trump game. You lead 4 to your partner’s J and declarer’s A. At trick 2, South emerges with 2. What do you play?

Without thinking too much, West played low with dummy’s J scoring the trick. Next came a heart to South’s Q. Still holding A, you were delighted to win this trick and play a second round of spades. You were left to take the last three tricks but declarer had their 9. This was the lay-out:

 

South was certainly fortunate that the J came down doubleton (West still had a chance if they ducked the first round of hearts) but they knew they needed something good to happen as they did not have time to knock out both red aces. South could see that West might well duck the first round of diamonds meaning dummy was dead. So, they had to hope to score a diamond trick and then get lucky in the heart suit. They thus earnt their good fortune not just in the play but in the bidding too.

4 has no play as long as West makes the “normal” play of ducking the first round of diamonds. There will be two clubs and two red aces to lose. South’s winning action was to pass out 3 and record a tiny plus score in beating this contract by one trick. However, 3NT was a reasonable gamble which paid off.

Yet, West should have done better. They could have afforded to think and take stock before playing low to the first round of diamonds. They knew that South held K (East would have played it had they held it) but East’s pre-emptive jump told them South had only two spades.

What would happen had West taken A and continued with a second spade? Four rounds of diamonds would follow. West could discard two small hearts, a club and then there would be a problem. If South held AQ, West would be in trouble in baring their K but they had to hold onto their three spade winners.

One’s hesitation might indicate holding AQ if South had not held that card. Even if East held Qx, West might survive rising with A and as they did not hold it, it was essential that West took A on the first round. An encouraging club discard from East on the run of the diamond suit would have made West’s 4^th discard more comfortable.

So, the “normal” defence, ducking the first round of diamonds, proved disastrous for the defence. It was crucial to allow South to run their 5 diamond winners or else they would come to 9 tricks via the heart suit.

Is this why we prefer to be declarer than a defender? Stay alert at all times to what a declarer might be doing. Here, holding A, K and three spade winners were clues for West to find the unusual but successful defence.

Richard Solomon

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